[Tropical] Hurricane Local Statement

[EMWIN Server]

WTUS82 KEYW 221603
HLSEYW
FLZ076-077-078-GMZ031-032-033-052-053-054-072-073-074-075-221830-

HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1200 PM EDT SAT OCT 22 2005

...HURRICANE WATCH ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...
...MONROE COUNTY ANNOUNCES MANDATORY EVACUATION...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
WATCHES AND WARNINGS HAS BEEN UPDATED.
STORM INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS HAS BEEN UPDATED.
MARINE IMPACTS HAS BEEN UPDATED.
TORNADO IMPACTS INCLUDED.
STORM SURGE IMPACTS INCLUDED.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS SPECIFIC TO THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE COUNTY.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE FLORIDA KEYS INCLUDING
FLORIDA BAY AND ALL SURROUNDING WATERS. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN 36 HOURS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1100 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 21.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 87.0 WEST...ABOUT 400 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF KEY WEST. WILMA WAS DRIFTING NORTHWARD...WHICH MOVEMENT
SHOULD CONTINUE TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 115 MPH
WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE. SOME
WEAKENING IS LIKELY TODAY. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE
WAS 946 MB...OR 27.94 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A PHASED MANDATORY EVACUATION OF RESIDENTS BEGAN AT NOON TODAY. IT
STARTS WITH THE LOWER KEYS FROM KEY WEST TO THE SEVEN MILE
BRIDGE...THEN AT 300 PM THE MIDDLE KEYS FROM THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE
TO THE LONG KEY VIADUCT...AND AT 600 PM THE UPPER KEYS FROM LONG KEY
TO OCEAN REEF. THE SHELTER AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY IS
OPEN...JUST FOLLOW THE SIGNS. THERE WILL BE NO SHELTERS OPEN IN THE
KEYS. THOSE EVACUATING ARE URGED TO SEEK SHELTER NORTH OF ORLANDO IF
THEY CHOOSE NOT TO STAY AT THE DESIGNATED SHELTER. THE DRAWBRIDGES
AT SNAKE CREEK AND JEWFISH CREEK ARE LOCKED DOWN. TO FACILITATE
VEHICLE TRAFFIC...TOLLS ON CARD SOUND ROAD AND THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE
HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED. KEY WEST AIRPORT HAS CLOSED. GREYHOUND WILL
CONTINUE SERVICE TODAY. THERE WILL BE MUNICIPAL BUS SERVICE
AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS WHO DO NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION. RESIDENTS CAN
CALL THE COUNTY EMERGENCY HOTLINE FOR BUS INFORMATION AT THE MONROE
COUNTY HOTLINE 1-800-955-5504...OR IF IN KEY WEST CALL THE CITY
INFORMATION LINE AT 305-809-1108.

...WIND IMPACTS...
WINDS WILL REMAIN SAFE FOR TRAVEL THROUGH TONIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY.
SHOWERS WITH WIND GUSTS OVER 35 MPH BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON WILL REQUIRE
EXTRA CARE IN DRIVING OVER BRIDGES. WINDS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE OR
HURRICANE FORCE ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. AS THE STORM APPROACHES...WIND
DIRECTION WILL BE FROM THE SOUTHEAST INITIALLY. THE MAXIMUM WINDS
WILL COME FROM THE SOUTH AND SOUTH SOUTHWEST. SPEEDS WILL DECREASE
SLIGHTLY AS WINDS GO INTO THE WEST. VESSELS SHOULD BE TIED OFF WITH
THIS IN MIND.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 5 FEET CAN BE EXPECTED EARLY MONDAY MORNING.
HIGH TIDE AT KEY WEST ON MONDAY MORNING WILL OCCUR AT 230 AM...123
AM AT VACA CUT...AND 208 AM AT WHALE HARBOR.

...TORNADO IMPACTS...
ISOLATED TORNADOS...EMBEDDED IN RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE
WILMA...ARE MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR FROM SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY
AFTERNOON.

...RAINFALL IMPACTS...
RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE
POSSIBLE THROUGH TUESDAY. THE HEAVIEST RAINS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY
NIGHT AND MONDAY.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 230
PM...OR SOONER IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. VISIT OUR KEY
WEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

$$

DFM/AD

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